Welcome to StrawPoll, the ultimate destination for polling enthusiasts and D&D aficionados alike! We're on a quest to discover the most popular D&D campaign of all time, and we need your help to determine the true champion. Delve into the fantastical realms of our carefully curated list, featuring thousands of epic adventures that span the vast multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons. Will it be the treacherous journey through the Underdark in Out of the Abyss, or perhaps the thrilling escapades of the Tyranny of Dragons? The choice is yours! Cast your vote for your favorite campaign or champion a missing contender by suggesting an option. Join our ranks and become a part of this legendary ranking, where every vote weaves a tale of its own and helps shape the course of D&D history. Let the adventure begin!
What Is the Most Popular D&D Campaign? (October 2023)
This campaign is set in the gothic horror world of Ravenloft and features a powerful vampire as the main villain. It is popular for its atmospheric setting and challenging gameplay.
Description
Curse of Strahd is a popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign which was released in 2016 as a part of the 5th edition. It is a gothic horror-themed adventure set in the land of Barovia, a twisted and cursed realm ruled by the vampire Strahd von Zarovich. The campaign takes players on a dark and harrowing journey as they try to escape the clutches of Strahd and free the land from his eternal darkness.
This campaign takes place in the tropical jungles of Chult and involves a search for a powerful artifact. It is known for its deadly traps and encounters with dangerous monsters.
Description
Tomb of Annihilation is a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign set in the tropical jungles of Chult. It was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2017 as a part of the fifth edition of D&D. The campaign revolves around a mysterious curse that is causing resurrection magic to fail and turning the lush jungles into deathtraps, leading adventurers to explore the Tomb of the Nine Gods, an ancient and deadly dungeon filled with unimaginable treasures and deadly traps.
Setting: Tropical jungles of Chult
Published Year: 2017
Edition: Fifth edition (5e)
Theme: Exploration, survival, and mystery
Main Storyline: Resurrection magic failure and the curse of death
This campaign focuses on a group of adventurers trying to stop a giant invasion of the land. It is popular for its epic scale and emphasis on battles against massive creatures.
Description
Storm King's Thunder is a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign that takes players on an epic adventure across the giant-infested wilderness of Faerûn. Created by Wizards of the Coast, it is one of the most popular published campaigns for the fifth edition of D&D.
This campaign is set in the Underdark and involves a journey to stop the demon lord Demogorgon from rising to power. It is known for its dark and dangerous setting and challenging gameplay.
Description
Out of the Abyss is a popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign that takes place in the Underdark, a treacherous and vast subterranean world. The campaign revolves around the mysterious disappearance of surface dwellers, which leads the players on a dangerous quest to uncover the cause and save their own lives. It is a thrilling adventure filled with unique encounters, challenging dungeons, and complex NPC interactions.
This campaign takes place in the city of Waterdeep and involves a search for a lost treasure. It is popular for its focus on urban adventures and political intrigue.
Description
Dragon Heist is a Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign that takes place in the city of Waterdeep, known as the City of Splendors. The adventure revolves around a grand treasure hunt for a stolen hoard of gold known as the Dragon Hoard. Players will navigate the dangerous streets, dive into political intrigue, and uncover shadowy secret societies in their quest to find the culprits and reclaim the treasure.
This campaign involves a group of adventurers trying to stop a group of elemental cultists from unleashing destruction on the world. It is known for its emphasis on exploration and dungeon crawling.
Description
Princes of the Apocalypse is a popular Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. It was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2015 as a part of the D&D fifth edition. This campaign revolves around Elemental Evil, an ancient force that threatens to unleash devastating chaos upon the world. The players must investigate the mysterious disappearances and disruptions happening in the peaceful town of Red Larch, which ultimately leads them to confront four prophesied elemental cults and their leaders in a sprawling dungeon called the Temple of Elemental Evil.
This campaign involves a group of adventurers trying to stop a dragon cult from summoning Tiamat, the goddess of dragons. It is popular for its emphasis on dragon-themed encounters and battles.
Description
Hoard of the Dragon Queen is an official Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) adventure module published by Wizards of the Coast. It is part of the Tyranny of Dragons storyline and serves as the first half of the two-part campaign, with the second part being The Rise of Tiamat. The adventure takes players from levels 1-7 and involves an epic quest to disrupt the plans of the Cult of the Dragon, who seek to summon the goddess Tiamat and bring destruction to the world.
Release Date: August 2014
Campaign Levels: 1-7
Setting: Forgotten Realms
Main Antagonists: Cult of the Dragon
Adventure Locations: Greenest, Lennithon’s Lair, Raider's Camp, Castle Naerytar, and more.
This campaign takes place in a seaside town and involves a series of adventures that revolve around pirates and sea monsters. It is known for its nautical theme and emphasis on exploration.
Description
Ghosts of Saltmarsh is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure module that was first published by Wizards of the Coast in 2019. It is a collection of seven self-contained adventures set in the coastal town of Saltmarsh, which is known for its maritime activities and ghostly history. The module is designed to be suitable for characters of levels 1-12 and offers a mix of exploration, combat, and role-playing opportunities as players navigate the perils of the sea and investigate mysterious happenings in the town.
This campaign is designed for beginners and involves a group of adventurers trying to find a lost mine. It is popular for its ease of use and introduction to D&D gameplay.
Description
The Lost Mines of Phandelver is a popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign that is included in the D&D Starter Set. It is designed for new players and Dungeon Masters to introduce them to the world of D&D. The campaign is set in the Forgotten Realms and revolves around the discovery of the legendary Wave Echo Cave, said to hold incredible magical power and valuable resources. However, various factions and nefarious creatures are also vying for control of the mine, adding excitement and danger to the adventure.
This campaign is the sequel to Hoard of the Dragon Queen and involves a group of adventurers trying to stop Tiamat from rising to power. It is known for its epic scale and emphasis on dragon-themed encounters.
Description
Rise of Tiamat is a popular Dungeons & Dragons campaign that serves as a direct sequel to the Hoard of the Dragon Queen. It takes place in the Forgotten Realms setting and focuses on the rising threat of Tiamat, the evil dragon goddess of chromatic dragons. As her cult attempts to bring her into the world, players must thwart their plans and prevent the catastrophic consequences of unleashing Tiamat.
Genre: Fantasy
System: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Setting: Forgotten Realms
Level Range: 8-15
Campaign Length: Medium to Long
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Discussion
Ranking factors for popular campaign
Storyline and plot
A good D&D campaign should have a compelling and engaging storyline that hooks the players and encourages them to invest in their characters and take an active role in the game's narrative. It should also have a well-developed plot with interesting twists, turns, and challenges for the players to overcome.
Setting and world-building
The campaign setting should be immersive, well-developed, and coherent. It should allow players to explore and interact with the world in meaningful ways, with established history, culture, and geography that lend depth to the storytelling.
Balance of combat and roleplaying
A popular D&D campaign should have a good mix of both combat encounters and opportunities for roleplaying. This balance will vary depending on the preferences of the players, but both aspects should be engaging and challenging in their own right.
Character development and player agency
A good campaign will encourage character development and provide opportunities for players to make choices that shape the direction of the story. Players should feel like their characters are growing and evolving over time as they face challenges and make decisions that impact the narrative.
Pacing
Effective pacing is essential in a D&D campaign to maintain player engagement and keep the story moving forward. This includes a mix of action, downtime, and periods of exploration to create a balanced gameplay experience.
Adaptability and flexibility
A popular campaign should be able to accommodate different play styles and adjust to the preferences of the players. This includes being open to homebrew content, adapting the difficulty level, or altering certain aspects of the campaign to better suit the group's needs.
Replayability
A campaign's replayability is an important factor in its popularity. Whether through branching story paths, numerous side quests, or simply the richness of the world, a great D&D campaign should offer enough variety to keep players engaged and interested in playing through it multiple times.
Accessibility
A popular campaign should be easily accessible to players of different experience levels—from those who are new to the game to seasoned veterans. This could mean providing premade characters, having scenarios that cater to different playstyles, or offering guidance for new players on how to best engage with the campaign.
Originality
Memorable and popular campaigns often bring something fresh and unique to the table, whether that's a new setting, inventive game mechanics, or a standout storyline. Campaigns that break new ground and offer a distinctive experience are more likely to make a lasting impression on players.
Quality of materials and presentation
The overall quality of a campaign's materials, such as maps, handouts, and visual aids, contributes to its popularity. Well-written and organized materials with engaging visuals can significantly enhance the gameplay experience and keep players interested and engaged.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular D&D campaign. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or your favorite Campaign is missing from the list, feel free to help us improve the ranking.
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each Campaign once every 24 hours. The rank of each Campaign is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) that has been around since the 1970s. Players create their own characters and embark on adventures in a fictional world filled with magic, monsters, and quests. The game is typically played with a group of people, with one person acting as the Dungeon Master (DM), who sets up the story and controls the non-player characters (NPCs).
D&D campaigns can vary widely in theme and style, from classic high fantasy to gritty urban adventures. Some campaigns focus on combat and dungeon crawling, while others emphasize role-playing and storytelling. With so many options available, it's no surprise that there are countless popular D&D campaigns out there. From the iconic "Tomb of Horrors" to the epic "Curse of Strahd," each campaign offers its own unique challenges and rewards for players.
So, what is the most popular D&D campaign? It's tough to say for sure, as opinions and preferences vary widely among players. However, some campaigns have gained a particularly strong following over the years, such as the aforementioned "Curse of Strahd" and "Waterdeep: Dragon Heist." Ultimately, the best campaign for you and your group will depend on your personal tastes and playing style.
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